About Me

My name is Thomas Turner, but most people call me T.J. I'm an honor roll student currently attending Atkins Academic and Technical High School. I love photography, guitar, and learning new things whenever I can. And this summer I will be leaving my humble hometown of Kernersville, North Carolina, to study abroad with AFS Intercultural programs in Japan! I'm excited to be able to converse to the Japanese people in their native language, gain an insight into the culture that a tourist will never experience, and share American culture with my host family on this trip!

I expect this trip to enlighten me about the world I live in. We only have so little time here, and I'm using mine to make as BIG a difference as I can: cultural understanding is the first step to a better world. Since my mission is to spread knowledge, I'm willing to spread my experiences to anyone with open ears upon my return to the States. I want to inspire others to experience the world so that they will also make efforts to preserve our planet for future generations.

http://feross.org/japan/

I'm so excited to be going to Japan this summer! With its capital centered in Tokyo, Japan is an island nation in East Asia, and is roughly the size of Montana with about HALF the population of the U.S.! The Japanese call their country "Nihon" which literally translates "Land of the Rising Sun". Japan's traditional foods consist of staples such as rice, noodles, fish, and vegetables, but western foods also exist: McDonald's and Pizza Hut included. The country is amazingly resilient in its ability to rapidly adapt to changing times while managing to hold on to its rich culture and customs, and they're even hosting the Summer Olympics   in 2020 for the second time. Will I see you there?

To help reach my goal, I'm gonna need some help though. I've worked diligently for three years to make this dream a reality. Opening my own savings account, mowing neighbors' lawns, dog sitting, and saving  every penny are just a few examples of what I have done reach my tuition goal. I will also be applying for scholarships very soon. I never even thought I'd make it this far, but now I'm so close I can taste it! 

So what is "Sponsor An AFSer"? This is an online fundraising tool provided by AFS to allow potential sponsors to make easy, secure, and non tax-deductible contributions to my AFS program fee. The money is wired directly to my tuition and is not used for anything else! To sponsor my AFS program, please click the Donate Now button to make a non tax-deductible contribution directly to my AFS program account. Anything helps! Check this blog daily to get updates on my adventure!